The Millennials face a
tough battle against the world as they age, for most never had true freedom growing
up and being thrown into society might be a culture shock for them. Hanna Rosen
wrote her concerns involving Millennials, including not having enough free
will, and due to parents taking control of the kids lives and protecting them, the
children seldom got to leave their sight. These parents are a concerned for the
Millennials, because they never got to go explore and learn things for
themselves. The children need this sense of “free range”, the signifigance of
this free range play is that the kids get to feel like they are truly growing
up. The older they get, the farther they can go without their parents, and the
older they will feel because they feel like they have more responsibility than
before.
Personally,
I have always loved being active and playing outside. Starting from childhood, I
loved feeling the wind in my hair as I ran and cycled around the neighborhood.
I started riding my bike when I was in kindergarten, and I used to ride around
the block with my brother, who is two years older than me. We used to go fast
down the street, because seldom did cars come down the street in the first
place, and if one did, we were always close to the sidewalk anyways. Risky play
allows you to see the dangers in the world for yourself, and understand why
some things should not be done, instead of just being told that something
should not be done.
However,
some children have grown up using only technology, like watching television and
playing video games, always inside the safety of their home instead of
exploring the outside of their house. Children are more prone to technology
now, they would rather stay inside on an iPad than go out and make new friends
while doing physical activity. The children probably also are so used to being
in their house they become comfortable there, with their parents, and don’t
want to explore what else is going on in the world, because they are comfortable
where they are. While I personally would not go to this extreme and spend all
my time inside with my parents and technology, I also would not want to go to
the other extreme, and go to this playgrounds such as The Land.
The
Land is a type of playground where Imagination is key. Modern playgrounds have
adults supervising their kids while they play. The Land however, promotes
independence in the kids, encouraging them to be themselves and act on their
own, without parent supervision. This type of
playground would be called insane by most parents because of how it operates,
the kids are free to do whatever they want in the park, and if something is
deemed too dangerous, the employees of the playground will step in, but only if
they are needed.
In
closing, the author left her own viewpoint about this type of playground. Rosin
conveys near the end of the article that as a parent, she knows it can be hard
to let your child have their space and be themselves, but it will be fine. They
understand the decisions they are making and they need room to experiment,
which is why he lets his son roll down the hill instead of trying to stop him.
Personally, I believe that that while the Land is definitely addressing a real
problem, I would be apprehensive to go there myself, or with my children.
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